Sounding apparatus.



G. RATTRAY.

SOUNDING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED rma, 1911.

Patented NOV. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, La/enfer rTL G. RATTRAY.

soUNDI'NG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.2. 1911.

1,009,856. Patented N0v.28,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3/ '3 f2 f /VA UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GORDON RATTRAY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC SOUNDING MACHINE COMPANY, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SOUNDING APPARATUS.

To all whom ti may coman-1i.:

Be it known that I, GonnoN RA'ITRAY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at,

Cleveland, in 'the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and exact description.,

This invention relates to improvements in ships lead or sounding apparatus. A

The best types of sounding apparatus in use, at the present time are more or less crude and unsatisfactory, and are4 in fact of veryy little value and afford practically no protection when a vessel is sailing in dangerous waters, under foggy or otherwise unfavorable weather conditions. These serious, if not fatal, objections are due largely to the labor and great length of time required to make a reading or sounding and to the unreliable and unsatisfactory methods of operation ormanner in which -the apparatus is `used. The result is, that when Ya vessel is in dangerous waters and weather conditions are unfavorable, the ollcers of the vessel are inV constant fear of grounding, and it is often the case that safety demands that a vessel be anchored for a considerable period, entailin a considerable loss of time and money which might be avoided if the vessel were equipped with a better and more reliable sounding apparatus.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sounding apparatus which is more efficient than the a aratus used heretofore; which gives the c cers of a vessel, at eX- ceedingly short intervals, reliable and accurate information regarding the depth of the water through whic the vessel is passing at any time; and which Vis automatic 1n character, requiring absolutely no manual labor in its operation.

The sounding apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention includes a hoisting apparatus for repeatedly raising and lowering a ships lead, and preferably the hoistin apparatus is so constructed and o erated t at the raising and lowering of t e lead is done automatically, the'drum upon which the lead line is wound being under normal conditions reversed in its direction of. rotation, both when a redeterlnined amount of line has been pai out and wound in; In connection with this apparatus, I provide means whereby, when the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 2, 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

Serial No. 606,120.

lead strikes bottom before the predetermined length of line has been paid out, a signal of some kind, such as an audible or a visual signal (or both), is operated, and at the same time the rotation of the drinn is automaticall reversed, so as to wind in the line. When height with reference to the`surface of the water, it will be lowered by the reversal of the drum, and when the lead again strikes bottom, the signal will be operated and the rotation of the drum again will be reversed. This raising and lowerin of the lead takes place repeatedly and rapidly, the signal be ing operated and the rotation of the drum being reversed each time the lead strikes bottom.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, I em lo a reversing motor which is geared to t e rum and is reversed under normal conditions by a reversing switch, together with what I term a limit switch which controls the reversing switch and causes it to be actuated when a predetermined length of line has been wound in, and when a predetermined length of line has been paid out or when the lead reaches a predetermined depth. The depth that the lead is lowered before the motor is reversed is controlled by means of an adjustable contact of the limit switch, and by the engagement of this adjustable contact with a combined traveling contact and indicator.

In order that 4the motor may be reversed and the signal or signals may be operated when the lead strikes bottom before the predetermined lenth of line is paid out, I employ a third switch which is preferably actuated by a sheave over whic the line passes, the sheave being supported in a manner such that when the lead strikesbottom and the cable is slackened, the switch will be closed so as to o crate the signal and cause the actuation o the reversin switch, the actuation of the reversing switc at this time being independent of the limit switch.

My invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the ap ended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the sounding apparatus embodying the preferred form e lead is raised to the desired.

presently. Within the housing 10, is av mo# a direct-current rea tive device, preferabl versing motor 11 which drives a drum 12 adapted to receive a lead line 13, which passes oyer a' sheave 14 and has connected to theend thereof 'a suitable lead or weight 13. In4 this case, the shaft of the motor is -provided'with a pinion `15 which drives a gear 16 mounted on a shaft 17 rotatably supported inthe sides of the housing 10. One end of the shaft 17, Ero'ects through and beyond the side of t e ous' and has attachedtheret'o, a gear 18 w ich drives a larger gear 19 secured to a shaft`20 to. which the drum 1 2 is secured.

`In accordance with my invention, the

` hoisting apparatus so far described is` for the purpose of repeatedly raisin and lowering the lead, andfor reversing t e direction of rotation of the drum when a predetermined length of line has been paid out or when' the leadl reaches a Vpredetermined A depth (which may be varied to suit condises that current is supplie -vided in t tions or requirements) and when a predetermined len th of line has been wound V1n or when the ead hasV been raised to 'or' within a suitable distance of the surface of the water.

To reverse the rotation of the drum in the manner above stated, I prefer to reverse the motor, and this is accomplished by means of a reversin switch 21 and a limlt switch 22, both of w 'ch may be arranged in the housingl12, the limit switch being supported at t e top of the housing beneath a suitable glass cover 23. v Referring now to' Fi 4, it will be seen to the motor and other devices, to be explained, by main current suppllying conductors 24 'and 24. ro-

eir circuit with a master-switch 25 by means of which the sounding apparatus as a whole may be thrown into or out of operation. As here shown, the'motor 11 includes an amature 11 a series'iield winding 11" and a shunt fielv winding 11. The reversing switch 21 which is arranged between the armature and field win in the usual manner, may'be of any suita le construction, and in this case it is of the doublethrow type and is provided with la pairof switch arms 21'l and 21" which in either position are adapted to engage suitable stationary contacts. These switch arms are adapted to be thrown to one ositionl to cause the motor to rotate in one direction by bers as follows: a fixed contact 22*, a normally fixed but adjustable contact 22, which is supported on a rod 22*l mountedin the framev22, and a travelin contact 22', which is adapted to be moved ack and forth between the contacts 22 and 22, and at the end of its movement in onedireetion to engage the fixed contact- 22", and at the Iend of 1ts movement in the oppositedirectionto'engage the 4normally fixed but ad 'ulstable contact 22. The contact 22 whic may serve also as an` indicator and which may co crate with a scale (indicated conventional y at 22), is mounted on and is adapted to be shifted back and forth by ascrew or threaded shaft 22' which' is su ported inthe frame 22', and which is adapted to be rotated from the motor by a. chain' and ysprocket driving gear, including a sprocket chain 26 and sprocket wheels 26 and 26 which are mounted respectively on the shaft 17 and on the threaded shaft 22g, and over ,which lthesprocket chain 26l passes. The traveling contact 22 is in electrical engagement with a xed rod 22h which is mounted in the `frame 22Il parallel with the threaded shaft 22".

As clearly shown inFi'g.-4, one terminal of the coil of solenoid 21 of the reversing switch is connected by conductor '26 to the l fixed contact 22" of the limit switch 22, and the other terminal of this coil' is connected by conductor 27 to one of the main conductors 24. `Also one of the terminals of the coil of so1enoid21l is connected by conductor 28 to the xed rod 22"l which su ports the adjustable contact 22, while tlhe other terminal of this coil is connected by conductor 29 to the main conductor 24. "The other main conductor 24*l is connected b la conductor 30 to the fixed rod 22 wit 'which the traveling contact 22 is inelectrical enga ement, as above explained.

uming that the motorisproperly wound and 'that the current is in the proper direction, it will beseen from the above described apparatus and electrical `connections, that when the master switch 25 is closed, and when the reversingswitch 2,1 is in the position shown, the motor` will be rotated 1n one direction (in a direction to rotate the 'drum so as to 'pay out the Aline),

and will rotate the threaded shaft 22 of the limit switch in 'a direction such as to cause the traveling contact 22 to move toward the contact 22. The motor will continue `to that shown, so as to reverse the direction ofcurrent through the motor armature and cause the motor to be reversed. Immediately the drum winds inthe line which had previousl been paid out, raising the lead toward t e surfacel and Vthe traveling contact 22 is now moved toward the fixed contact 22". As soon as the contact 22e engages the contact 22" which takes lace when the lead has been raised a pre etermined amount, .the circuit is comp eted through the `coil of solenoid 21,` and as soon as this solenoid is energized, the reversing switch is actuated so as to again -reverse the. motor so that the line will again be paid out and the lead lowered. This winding in and paying out of the line and the consequent raising and lowering of the lead continues in the manner above stated, the motor being automatically reversed as the lead reaches its predetermined limit of movement in each direction.

As before stated, I have provided means foljjounding an alarm or for actuating a signal and also for causing the reversal of the motor when the lead strikes bottom, and Y the preferred mechanism for accomplishing this result will now be explained. As stated previously, the line 13 passes over a sheave, 14. This sheave is yieldingly supported,

being vin this case pivotally supported, by means of an arm 14 which 1s fixed to a rock shaft 14" mounted in suitable bearings of a castin 4 which may be arranged at a suitable isance from the housing and other parts of the hoisting apparatus. A 'pair of coil compression springs 14" are arranged beneath suitable projecting ortions of the arm 1.4 and the base of tlie casting 14. These springs are compressed when the weight of the lead is on the sheave, but when the lead strikes bottom and the line is slackened, said springs will raise the sheave. Connected in any suitable manner with this sheave is a switch 31 which is designed to be closed when the sheave is raised b v the springs so as to cause the reversal of the motor and also to sound an alarm or actuate one or more signals. In this case, this switch includes an arm 31* which is fixed to one end 4of the rock shaft 14 upon which the' sheave 14 is supported, and this switch arm is adapted to coperate with a suitable number of fixed contacts, there being here shown two contacts 31 and 31 which are engaged by the switch arm 31 when the sheave is moved upward by the springs. One of these contacts, namely, 31", is connected by a conductor 32 to the conductor 28 leading to the coil of solenoid 21il and to the mainY current supplyin conductor 24, andthe other contact 81 1s connected by a conductor 33 to conductor 30 leading to the other main cur rent supplying conductor 24, The conductor 33 has in its circuit two signals, namel a lamp 34, and-'an electricfbell 35. It willybe seen, therefore, that when the lead strikes bottom and the cable is slackened, the switch 31 is closed by the upward movement of the sheave, land, as a result, the-signals are operated so as to call the officers attention to the fact that the lead has struck bottom, and at the same time the solenoid coil 21l is energized so as to cause themotor to reverse and wind in the line, and this is done independently of the limit switch. T he line is then wound in until the travelingcontact 22 engages the contact -22", when Ythe motor will again be reversed, and the lead lowered. If the lead again strikes bottom, the motor is reversed by the switch 31 and reversing switch 21 and the signals'are aga in actuated. In this manner, by employinga 95 hoisting apparatus and particularly a motor which will operate at the required speed, and may be reversed automatically, the lead will be raised and lowered very quickly and the officer of the vessel will be given repeated 100 warnings and will be kept oofistantly informed of the depth of the water, the signals being actuated at very short time intervals. As before stated, the traveling contact 22 preferably serves as an indicator and co- 105 operates with a suitable scale 22 which is so graduated and designed that the position of the traveling contact and indicator 22e at the instant the signal or signals are actuated,

will show the .actual depth of water through 110 which the vessel is passing.

I wish it to be understood that while I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, some of the parts may be considerably modified, both in their construc- 11E tion and operation, and I do not wish there fore to be confined in my claims to any of the specific details shown and described, except those to which I limit myself in the claims. g

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a sounding apparatus, hoisting aparatus for raising and lowering a sounding-lead, including a motive device, a'drum geared to the motive device and adapted to have a lead' line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, 4mechanism for causing` the motive device to reverse the direction of rotation of the drum, and means for automatically causing the actuation of the reversing mechanism when the lead strikes ,by the motive deviceand adapted to have a lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, a reversing mechanism for causing the motive device toA automatically reverse the direction of rotation of the drum `when-the lead has been raised or lowered a predetermined amount or` when the lead strikes bottom. 4

- i 4. In a sounding apparatus, hoisting mechanism for automatically and repeatedly raising'and loweringl a sounding-lead, including a motivek device, a drum driven by said motive device and adapted to Vhave a Aleadline wound thereon and unwound therefrom, a reversing mechanism for causing the motive 'device to automatically reverse the direction of rotation of the drum when th'e lead has been raised or lowered a predetermined amount, -and means for causing the actuation of the reversing mechanism when the lead strikes bottom.

5. In a sounding apparatus, hoisting mechanism for automatically and repeatedly raising and lowerin a sounding-lead, cornprising a motor, a rum geared to the motor and adapted to have a lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, a revers- 1n swgltch for automatica ly reversing the motor when a redetermined length .ofline has been paidJ out or wound in, and means for causing the actuation of said reversing 4switch so as to cause the motor to wind in the line when the lead strikes bottom.

6. In a sounding apparatus,l hoisting mechanism for raising and lowering a sounding-lead, and comprising a drum adapted to have a lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, a yieldingly supported sheave over which the line is ada ted to pass, a signal' and means, operated y the movement of the sheave when the lead strikes bottom and the line is s'lackened for causing the actuation of the signal.

7. In a sounding ap aratu's,l hoisting mechanism for automatically and repeatedly raising and lowering a sounding lead, said mechanism comprisin a` motive device, a drum geared to sai motive device and mechanism com rising a reversing adapted to have a lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, mechanism for causing the motive device to reverse the direction of rotation of the drum when a predetermined length. of line has been aid out or wound in a `eldingly su po sheave over which t e ead line is a aptedto pass, and means controlled b the movement of sa'id sheave when the ead strikes bottom and the line is slackened, for causing the actuation of the revelrsing mechanism.

, 8. In a' sounding apparatus, hoisting mechanism for re eatedly raising and lowering a sounding ead, said mechanism comprlsing a motive devlce, a drum geared to said motive device and adapted to have a lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, mechanism for causing the motive device to automatically'reverse the Vdirection of lrotation fof the drum when a predetermined length of` line has been paid out or wound in, a yieldingly. sup orted sheave over which the leadV Ime-is ad; ted to pass, a-signal, and means controlle by the movementof said sheave when the lead strikes bottom and the line is slackened, for operating said si nal. 4

9. In a soun ing apparatus, hoisting mechanism for repeatedly raising and lowering a sounding lead said mechanism comprising a motive device, a drum geared to said motive-device and adapted to have a lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, mechanism 4for causing the 'motive device to automatically reverse the direction of rotation of the drum when a redetermined length of line has been pald out or wound in, a yieldingly sup orted sheave over which the lead line is a a ted lto pass, a signal, and means, controlled E the movement of said sheave when the ead strikes bottom and the line is slackened, `for caus` ing the actuation of said signal and the actuation of the reversing mechanism.

10. In a sounding apparatus, mechanism for repeated] raising and lowering a sounding lead, inc uding a motor, a drum geared to the motor and adapted to havea lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, a

-reversing switch for automatically causing the reversal of the motor when a predetermined length of line has been pald out or wound in a yieldingly supported sheave over which the line 1s .adapted to pass, a switch, operated by the movement of said sheave when the lead strikes bottom and the line is slackened and connections extending from said switch, for causing the actuation of the reversing switch.

11. In a sounding a paratus, mechanism for automatically an repeatedly raising and lowering a sounding lead, including a motor, a drum geared to the motor and adapted to have a lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, a reversing switch for automatically causing the reversal of the motor when a predetermined length of line has ,been paid out or wound in, a yieldingly supported sheave over which the line is adapted to ass, an electric signal, a switch, connecte to said sheave and adapted to be closed b the movement of the sheave when,the ead strikes bottom and the line is slackened, and connections controlled b' said last mentioned switch for causing t e operation of the signal and the actuation of the reversing switch. i

12. In' a sounding apparatus, hoisting mechanism for automatically and repeatedly ,raising and lowering a sounding lead includin a motor, a drum geared to the motor an adapted to have a lead line wound thereon and unwound therefrom, a reversing switch, a limit switch and connections between the limit switch and reversimv switch for causing the actuation of the reversing switch when a predetermined length of line has been wound in or paid out, a yieldingl sup orted sheave over which the line is adyapte to pass, a switch, controlled by the movement of the sheave when the lead strikes Abottom and connections controlled by said last mentioned switch for causing the actuation of the reversing switch. l

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. GORDON RATTRAY. Witnesses:

WALTER G. STEPHAN, A. F. Kwis. 

